And a Souffle, Please
by the antisocial insomniac
Summary: When Clara walks into her favorite coffee shop at an unusual, non-Wednesday time, she doesn't expect to meet anyone new. But when the barista messes up her order and she accidentally overpays, there's no way that anything will ever be quite the same. Rated T to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

_I have measured out my life with coffee spoons._

-T.S. Eliot

* * *

_And a Souffle, Please_

A Whouffle AU

by the antisocial insomniac

Chapter 1

.

"One vanilla latte and a souffle, please."

"Sure thing," the man behind the counter replied without looking up. His hands moved quickly, grabbing a fresh to-go cup and pouring some vanilla syrup inside. "Want anything in the latte? Milk? Sugar?"

"It's a _latte_," she replied in exasperation, glancing at the ceiling in frustration. There weren't any tiles, and it was simply white. Very clean-looking, though. "I would hope that there would be milk in it."

"There's no need to be rude," the barista replied, finally looking at the customer. His eyes widened. "Hey… you're the girl from the library, aren't you?"

"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about," the mysterious woman shot back. "Now if you'll please hurry, I have a class to get to very soon and I need my coffee."

"Sure thing," the barista mumbled,putting the cup down for just a second to take out a souffle and place it on the counter. He quickly spun and poured this and that into the cup, his motions flourished with unnecessary (and unwanted) gestures. After a moment, he stopped and spun back to the counter. His green eyes weren't bright or happy and he plastered on a clearly fake smile as he asked, "Milk? Sugar?"

"Again? Seriously? Just give me my coffee. I'm kind of in a rush here," the woman exclaimed, placing some money on the counter, leaning over and grabbing said drink and the corresponding lid right from the barista's hands, and snatching her souffle. "Oh, and you can keep the change." And with that, the strange woman swung her purse over her shoulder and walked away, stopping only to shake a little nutmeg on her drink before marching out the door.

The barista stood in shock and watched as the woman walked out the doorway, closing the lid as the doors swung shut behind her.

"Y'know, she's not always like that, Doctor," a calm voice broke in from behind. "She's here pretty often. Wednesdays, usually. I guess today was the exception."

"Do you know her?" the Doctor asked, a look of disbelief on his face. "I didn't really peg her as your type, Vastra."

"Like I said. She's not always like that," the woman repeated, gliding gracefully over to the counter and picking up the money the woman had left behind before helping the next customer. "Hello, may I take your order?"

The order was routine: a coffee, with a splash of milk, and a muffin from their small display of baked goods. The Doctor may have prided himself in his baking, but not all of it was good enough to sell. Vastra handed the older man his coffee, and the man handed over some money, exactly the right amount to pay the bill. Vastra smiled, and said a gentle thank you to the now-leaving customer as she put the money in the small cash register. Then, she slid something new off the counter and unfolded it as she turned to the Doctor, revealing two bills.

"She overpaid us, Doctor. She should have just given us 6 pounds if she wanted us to keep the change. But she gave us 51. She must have grabbed a 50 instead of a 5."

"Let me see that, Vastra," the Doctor replied, holding out his hand. He glanced down at the money in disbelief before looking halfheartedly out the door. "We have to give this back."

"You don't even know her name, Doctor. She'll come back for it," Vastra promised. "Let's just put it aside in a safe place until Wednesday comes."

"I made a promise to the customers here when I opened the shop, Vastra," the Doctor mumbled quietly, contemplating what to do. "I promised that I wouldn't cheat or steal. This feels like cheating and stealing." he looked up at her, only to see worry in her eyes. "Vastra, can you take care of the shop for me until I get back?"

"Of course, Doctor," Vastra replied. "Don't worry about a thing."

The Doctor rushed through a blue-painted door, grabbed his purple jacket from the all-too-familiar hook (the coat was nice and warm and very non-monk like), and dashed towards the door. He had only made it past two other shops before he ran into a short someone.

"I'm so sorry!" he apologized quickly, meaning to get away fast. But as the short woman looked up, his eyes widened in recognition. "Hey, you're the girl from the coffee shop! I was coming after you actually. You gave us fifty-one instead of six."

"Really?" the woman asked, taking the bills from his hands and glancing at them. "Oh, I'm sorry." She looked up at him again, and continued, "But I was looking for you, too. You messed up my order."

The Doctor was shocked. He hadn't messed up an order since he first opened the little coffee shop years ago. "I'm so sorry," he replied, "To make it up for you, you can have that for free. And if you want to come back to the shop, we'll gladly mak-"

"No, that's what I was coming back to tell you about," she cut in. "It's delicious. I'm pretty sure you put some hazelnut in there when you put in the vanilla. And with the nutmeg- I always mix it in before drinking it- it tastes absolutely amazing! Here, try it," she demanded, prying the lid off the cup and shoving it into the Doctor's hands. Hesitantly, he raised the cup to his lips and took a little sip. Instantly, his eyes lit up.

"It tastes like… It's like…"

"It tastes like a souffle," she finished. "I know. Isn't it great? I usually stop by the bakery next door to your shop to get my weekly souffle, but now, if I'm in a rush, I don't have to! You should totally put this on the menu!"

The Doctor chuckled at this strange woman's antics. "Well, I'm glad you like it. Want to come back to the shop and write it down? I'll definitely think about adding it."

Coffee shop girl looked at her watch and then back up at the Doctor, her eyes wide with sympathy. "I really can't. I'm going to be late as it is. I've got a class, and I can't keep the kids waiting too long."

"And I have a car," the Doctor replied. "I'll drive you to wherever you have to go."

"I don't even know your name," she said suspiciously.

"I don't know yours, either," he shot back. "But I'm the Doctor. What's your name?"

"Doctor who?"

"Exactly."

She chuckled lightly, and the Doctor's lips slowly formed a grin. "I'm Clara," she told him. "Clara Oswald. I guess it's not quite as interesting as 'the Doctor,' but it works." She smiled brightly and turned around quickly. "Now, let's get back to that coffee shop of yours before I'm _really_ late."

And so, laughing, they walked back to the shop. Vastra smiled and waved when she saw the duo enter, and the Doctor waved back.

"Now Clara, just go right through those doors, and I'll be there in a second. There should be paper and a pen next to the phone, so you can write what I did down there." Clara nodded and walked through said doors, and the Doctor turned to Vastra, who was now preparing another order. "I may have to leave again."

"You told her that you would drive her to work, didn't you," Vastra questioned with a smile.

"Quite possibly."

"Be careful, Doctor. Don't kill her in that mess of a car you drive before you two even go on the first date."

"Oi! I'm not going on a date with her," the Doctor whispered angrily, getting annoyed. "Honestly."

"The paper next to the phone, Doctor?" a feminine voice cut in, and the Doctor spun to see Clara's head poking out from between the doors.

"Yes, Clara, hold on. I'm coming," he said, shooting a pointed look at Vastra before making his way to the small kitchen.

"I wrote it down, but I have to get to work. Can we go?"

"Yeah, sure," the Doctor replied. "Just let me get my keys." he gestured for Clara to walk out the door, and then turned to the notepad next to the phone. Sure enough, there was a string of digits printed there that he was sure nobody in his shop had written.

_"She's impossible,"_ he muttered with a smile, tossing his keys in the air before walking out the door.

.

**A/N:** Hi, I'm Aria! Thanks for reading the first chapter of my story! I've written a few fanfics before (not on this site), but I've never been very good, so constructive critisism would be much appreciated~! I just really wanted to write a coffee shop AU, y'know? sO, if you liked it, please follow the story; if you didn't, don't worry! Thanks for reading! See you guys next chapter~


	2. (Mini) Chapter 2-- the TARDIS

_And a Souffle, Please_

(Mini) Chapter 2- the TARDIS

**Please read the A/N at the end of this chapter!**

"There it is. That's the TARDIS."

Clara observed the tiny vehicle carefully, noting the chipping blue paint and the little window panes painted onto each of the windows. It was small- like a smart-car, but older. But most of all, TARDIS sounded like such a fancy name for such an ordinary car.

"Sorry, what?"

"The TARDIS. It's a machine that can travel through time and spa- well, it's technically just a car. But I've always liked to think of it as a spaceship."

"It's tiny. And blue. And... re you really sure we'll both fit?"

The Doctor sighed and started to walk towards the small vehicle. "I prefer the term petite, and yes, I'm quite sure. C'mon, you're going to be late, and Vastra will be furious f I stay out too long. Well- maybe not furious, but she'll certainly start to assume things, and that's usually worse." The man straightened his bowtie and shook his head furiously, as if trying to get rid of memories that never happened.

Clara stopped dead. "Should I get a ride from her, instead, then? Is that what your car really is? A snogging booth? There's such a thing as too keen, you know."

The Doctor groaned and pressed a button on the keychain, getting a pleasing click from the car and making its lights blink on and off faintly, as if they needed to be replaced. "It's not a snog box, that I can assure you. Come on, Clara."

"Fine. If you're sure."

The Doctor grinned, and opened the passenger-side door for his guest. "Clara, welcome to the TARDIS." Clara slid inside and onto the seat, moving her bag onto her lap. She shut the door and buckled her seat belt as the Doctor danced- literally, danced- his way around to the driver's side door. "So, what do you think?"

"What was that dance you were doing?"

The Doctor frowned. "No, about the TARDIS, Clara."

"Well, it certainly does feel bigger on the inside," she mused, looking behind her to the second row of seats. She hadn't thought there would be enough space for a second row from the outside. "Actually bigger. It's kinda weird and unsettling, to be honest. But Doctor, this thing looks old. Are you sure it'll hold together until I get to the school?"

"The assembled hordes of Genghis Khan can't get through these doors- believe me, they've tried," the Doctor replied, stroking the wall of the car fondly. "Blimey. I haven't said that in a long time. But believe me. There's no way you could get hurt. Now, where exactly do you work?"

"Coal Hill School," she said. "Do you know where that is?

"Of course," he shot back, only a little insulted that she doubted his navigational abilities. Grinning, he placed his hand on the gear, and pulled the car into drive. Glancing over at Clara, who was now watching him with suspicion, he smirked and put both hands on the wheel. _"Geronimo!"_

* * *

**A/N:** Welcome back! Wow, I really didn't expect this story to get so many follows- 9 in two days? That's amazing! Anyways, I'm sorry this chapter is so short. I realized after I wrote this that it should really have gone onto the end of the last chapter, but it was too late to fix it. Maybe someday I'll edit this and stick it on where it's supposed to go. Who knows? I promise you, I'm writing the next chapter right now. I plan to get it up tomorrow (no school! and it's a weekday so my schedule will be free~), so don't worry.

Thanks for reading! : )_ ((I really need a catchy slogan like DFTBA to go here, but I can't think of one. Maybe next chapter.))_

~Aria ("the antisocial insomniac")


	3. Chapter 3-- Wednesdays

_And a Souffle, Please_

by the antisocial insomniac

Chapter 3- Wednesdays

"Doctor! Do you really know how to drive?!" Clara's knuckles were white as she held onto the back of her seat for dear life. "I thought you said that you could get me to work safely! This isn't safe!"

"Clara, please shut up. Short hops are difficult. I need to concentrate."

_"Watch out for the tree!"_

The Doctor groaned and pulled to the side of the road, the TARDIS shaking slightly as it came to a stop. "My driving is perfectly normal!" he exclaimed, turning to face Clara in annoyance. "Do you want to walk or not?"

Clara sighed and relaxed in her seat. "Fine. Just… go a bit slower, okay? You're gonna get pulled over if you aren't careful."

The Doctor pulled the gear back into drive and eased the vehicle back onto the road. After a minute of silence, he sighed. "Sorry," he muttered, his eyes fixed on the road in front of him. "I'll be more careful from now on."

Clara rolled her eyes, even though she knew the Doctor couldn't see. "It's fine. I would have stayed, anyways." she stayed quiet for a moment, watching the various shops and trees and bits of sidewalk go by outside the window- or windows? She quite liked the little painted-on windows, actually. Not that she would ever tell him that. "Still. Your car is strange."

"So am I," the Doctor replied automatically. "What's bad about strange? It's more fun."

"I suppose." It was quiet until Clara continued. "Are you really just the Doctor? Is that really what everyone calls you?"

"Yup, that's me. Just the Doctor. Hello!" he waved his hand, then jumped a little when the car swerved.

"You don't have an actual name, then?"

The Doctor sighed. "Of course I have an actual name. I just don't give it out to any random person on the street. Even the people who work in my shop don't know me as anything more than 'Doctor.'"

Clara's eyes widened. "Wait, you own the shop? The entire thing?"

The Doctor shrugged. "Yeah. It's not that hard, really. Just a lot of coffee-buying and muffin-baking and money-managing and people-hiring. Well, I guess it's a little more complicated than that. Maybe a five out of ten on the scale of difficulty. Probably a smidge more." he stopped, and Clara stared at him in a shocked silence. Boy, this man could _ramble._ "I guess it is pretty hard, after all. Yowzah. I've never really thought of it as being perticularly challanging before."

Clara coughed, choking down a laugh. "Did you… did you seriously just say… _yowzah?"_

"Yeah, I did. Honestly, the lot of you. You're no better than Amy," the Doctor muttered, annoyed. "Seriously. It's just a word."

"Sorry, who?"

"Right, my fault, sorry. Amy and her husband, Rory, were friends of mine." the Doctor kept his eyes glued to the road, but Clara could see that it was a touchy subject, so she didn't press further. "Amy… she was always telling me that I said 'yowzah' too often. I don't know. I like the word, personally."

"I don't see a problem with it," Clara agreed, her brow creasing with thought. "I mean, I once had an otaku friend that used to say 'kawaii' way too much. It wasn't that I didn't like the word so much as she could go up to a bloody doll and swoon over it like it was the most adorable thing on the planet. But yowzah? I think it works."

The Doctor nodded. "The whole 'kawaii' does seem a bit much."

As he pulled the TARDIS up in front of Coal Hill School and stopped, the Doctor turned to Clara. "So… this was a nice chat," he said awkwardly.

"Yeah," she replied. "It was."

"Want to do it again sometime?"

Clara smirked. "Down, boy," she replied,making the Doctor's face fall. Clara panicked. "Sorry, not what I meant. Today is Tuesday, right? I get off early on Wednesdays... I don't have classes the last two periods of the day, so I get my grading done then and leave right after the students do. That's when I usually come by your shop. Want to meet up then?"

"Okay," the Doctor agreed, "see you tomorrow then?"

"See you," Clara sang, sliding out of the car. But as the Doctor watched her practically bounce into the school, he couldn't see her smile.

"Jenny, is the Doctor back yet?" Vastra asked in annoyance, balancing four coffees in her hand. "I could really use some help here."

"He can't be out for too much longer," she replied. "Besides, I think I hear the TARDIS."

"I'm working this Wednesday," a loud voice announced from the kitchen as a door slammed shut. There was a swish as the Doctor threw his jacket onto its hook and brushed through the double doors into the main shop. "Vastra, you can have Wednesday off. Think of it as repaying you for covering me just now."

Vastra rolled her eyes and turned to the Doctor, pouring some tea into a cup for a customer. "Don't even try to hide it. She told you she comes here on Wednesdays, and you want to talk to her, don't you." the woman smirked. "We know you too well, Doctor. There's no point in lying."

"Actually, we had a nice chat, and she said she would like to do it again sometime," the Doctor stated in a 'matter-of-fact' tone. "At which point she suggested she would stop in on Wednesday. So shut up." He rolled up his sleeves and washed his hands in the little sink under the counter before giving the woman who Vastra was serving her pastry. "Besides. Why would I suggest Wednesdays if I don't usually work?"

"He's got a point, ma'am," Jenny put in, leaning back on the counter.

"Jenny!" the Doctor spun happily and gave his friend and employee a hug. "When did you get here? I thought you had a doctor's appointment!"

"It ended early," she said with a shrug. "Anyways, tell me about this Clara figure!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"How do you know her name?" the Doctor asked, looking at Vastra and raising an eyebrow. "Did you know her name the whole time?"

"I knew her name after someone called the shop and I had to pick up the phone and take a note. Did you know she left her phone number, Doctor?"

"That's great!" Jenny burst in. "Doctor, this is fantastic!"

"And you're uncharactaristically happy," the Doctor replied, suspicious. "Are you sure that your doctor's appointment was normal?"

"I'm certain, sir," Jenny confirmed with a smile. "Why wouldn't it be? Now, back to Clara…"

**A/N:** Chapter 3 is up! Hope you enjoyed! The nextchapter should be up soon, but I start school on Thursday and so starting then I'll be a lot busier. On a side note… wow, I've gotten so many comments/follows/favorites recently! Where did you all come from?! :O I appreciate every comment, and each favorite/follow makes me smile. : )

I HAVE A PLAN, GUYS. This fic is going to follow the canon epsiodes in a way, with some plot points taken or inspired by the events in season 7. So, be prepared for that!

Thanks for reading!

~Aria


	4. Chapter 4-- Trouble With the Wifi

_And a Soufflé, Please_

by the antisocial insomniac

Chapter 4- Trouble with the Wifi

x

"One vanilla latte and a souffle, please," requested a familiar voice from across the counter. The Doctor looked up in surprise, then smiled when he saw the customer.

"Hi, Clara," he said, grabbing a cup and starting to prepare her latte. "How are you?" Suddenly, he stopped and glanced up. "Do you want the vanilla latte, or do you want me to mess it up again?"

Clara tilted her head in thought. "I think I'll have the vanilla this time, thanks. I'm in the mood for an actual souffle today." She watched in amusement as the Doctor danced around behind the counter, pouring this and that into a cup and stealing a glance at Clara whenever he could. Then, he handed it to her and grabbed a souffle from the case before taking her money and giving her change. "So, are you always this much of a dancer?" she looked at him with the question still hanging unanswered in her eyes, then glanced down again to pick up her latte.

"I'm not a dancer," the Doctor replied angrily, snapping the lid shut and sliding the beverage across the counter. He watched as Clara gracefully made her way over to the table he set out with spices and sugars and creams, and smiled when she stirred in a little bit of nutmeg. When she came back and sat in a bar-like seat just down the counter from the cash register, he smiled. "Besides, if I was a dancer, why would I be working in a coffee shop?"

"You said you owned the shop," Clara pointed out. "You could be a dancer who has a passion for coffee and runs a shop in their spare time."

The Doctor shrugged. "Too much work," he told her. "I may do a lot of things, but juggling two jobs on a regular basis when I don't have to seems a bit extreme."

Clara nodded silently, taking a bite of her souffle. She squinted a little, then looked down to examine it. With a wide-eyed glance back up at the Doctor, she said, "I'm going to need to teach you how to make a proper souffle."

The Doctor was offended. "I'm pretty sure I can make a souffle, thank you very much. In fact, you're eating one right now."

"No, this is good, but it's not quite a souffle. There's something missing." she thought this over for a moment, before pushing her spoon into the souffle and reaching into her bag. She promptly pulled out her phone, and slid it across the counter. "Here, put your number in."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow, but plugged the digits in anyway and slid the phone back across the counter. "Alright, here you go. I'm assuming what you wrote down yesterday was your phone number?"

Clara smirked, then nodded. "You're clever."

"Not really. I know how my employees write, and the handwriting didn't match."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine then, Chin. You can prove your cleverness another time."

"Oi! There is nothing wrong with my chin!"

"Really?" Clara asked with an eyebrow raised. "Careful, dear. You'll put someone's eye out."

The Doctor groaned and moved to help a customer who had just arrived. "Is there anything wrong with my chin?" he asked the man, sticking it out for good measure.

"Uhm, no?" the man replied uncertainly. "But can I please have my coffee? I'm in a bit of a rush, you see."

"Of course, just give me one second to prepare it," the Doctor apologized with a smile. He grabbed a cup and made his way over to the coffee, but not before stopping next to Clara. "Told you so," he muttered, walking away to pour the man's coffee. And although Clara couldn't see it, the Doctor grinned.

x

"Hello?"

"Ah, hello. I can't find the internet."

The Doctor pulled the phone away from his ear and groaned before replying. "Sorry, you what?"

"I can still hear you even if you move the phone away, Doctor. But anyway, the internet is gone. I can't find it anywhere. Where is it?"

"The internet?"

"Yes, the internet, haven't you been listening? Nina is rubbish with computers, so she wouldn't be able help me. So I thought, hey, he's got to be called 'the Doctor' for a reason, right? Maybe he can find the internet."

"You have clicked on the wifi button, haven't you?"

"Wifi? Wifi…"

"You'll see a list of names. Find one you recognize."

At that moment, the door flung open and someone walked in. "I'm home," a feminine voice called out. There was some rustling as they hung up their coat, and then footsteps as they walked into the living room, where Clara was sitting.

"Oh, hi, Nina," Clara said without looking up. What's the password for the internet?"

" 3," Nina replied, rolling her eyes and walking through the living room and into her bedroom. "And please tell me you haven't '_lost the internet_' again," she called before closing the door behind her.

Clara squinted a bit and looked around on her screen. "Doctor? I don't see the wifi. Am I supposed to be able to see it?"

The Doctor sighed and stood up from his chair, turning to his own desk for a moment just to save his files and shut off his computer. "Y'know what, maybe it's best if I come over there. Where do you live?" Suddenly, the door to the Doctor's apartment swung open. He turned to see who it was and groaned. "Y'know what, just text me the address, okay? I'll be there soon."

"Okay? Bye then," Clara said confusedly, hanging up the phone and quickly plugging in her address. After clicking send, she yelled, "Nina? A friend of mine just invited himself over. I hope that's alright."

"Himself?!" the once-closed bedroom door swung open, and a brown-haired woman dashed out, her ponytail swinging behind her like an excited dog's tail. "It's fine!" then she frowned when she noticed all of the computer packaging sitting around their living room. "Don't tell me you told him to come over so he could find the internet."

Clara only grinned sheepishly.

x

**A/N:** shoooot. I'm so sorry for not updating sooner! I've been surprisingly busy, and I'll continue to be busy. So, no more daily or daily-ish updates. I'm really sorry. :(

On a side note, I'm a terrible person and haven't responded to any reviews. I feel really bad, so from now on I promise to at least try to reply to every one of your comments! Each one makes me smile, so it's ridiculous not to respond.

This chapter was supposed to be longer, but I wanted to get it up today. It's okay- it'll all be in the next chapter.

DFTBA! (nOt mine, it's from the Vlogbrothers but oh well)

_~Aria_


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